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RAS question

With reference to the DRDO scramjet ground test confirmed by the Ministry of Defence on 9 May 2026, consider the following statements: 1. The active-cooled scramjet combustor achieved a continuous ground test run of more than 1,200 seconds. 2. A scramjet is an air-breathing engine that uses liquid oxygen carried on board as the oxidiser for combustion at hypersonic speeds. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct answer: (C) 1 only.

DRDO's actively cooled full-scale scramjet combustor achieved a continuous ground run of more than 1,200 seconds, while a scramjet uses atmospheric oxygen rather than onboard liquid oxygen as the oxidiser.

  1. (A)

    Both 1 and 2

  2. (B)

    Neither 1 nor 2

  3. (C)

    1 only

  4. (D)

    2 only

Explanation

The Ministry of Defence release states that DRDO's Defence Research and Development Laboratory successfully conducted a long-duration test of an actively cooled full-scale scramjet combustor, with a run-time of over 1,200 seconds at the Scramjet Connect Pipe Test Facility in Hyderabad on 9 May 2026. A scramjet is a supersonic combustion ramjet: it is an air-breathing engine, so it uses oxygen from the atmosphere for combustion instead of carrying liquid oxygen on board. ISRO's scramjet explainer makes the same distinction, noting that scramjet engines use atmospheric oxygen as the oxidiser. The DRDO test detail is accurate, and onboard liquid oxygen is not a scramjet oxidiser requirement.

Why the other options are wrong

  • (A) A scramjet's defining feature is atmospheric-oxygen use, not onboard liquid oxygen.
  • (B) The Ministry of Defence confirmed a run-time of over 1,200 seconds for the actively cooled scramjet combustor.
  • (D) DRDO's actively cooled scramjet combustor ran for over 1,200 seconds, and scramjets are air-breathing engines that use atmospheric oxygen.

Concept

Hypersonic propulsion includes both rocket propulsion and air-breathing scramjet propulsion, with scramjets using atmospheric oxygen instead of onboard liquid oxygen. RAS current-affairs science coverage often combines a factual update with the underlying scientific concept.

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